Northeastern Ontario protester says he plans to stay in Ottawa

One man from northeastern Ontario who has been in Ottawa since the start of the protest said he plans to stay there despite an Emergencies Act now in place to establish order.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau triggered the Emergencies Act, which gives the federal government sweeping powers to deal with the anti-vaccine mandate protest.

The act grants Trudeau and his cabinet ministers the ability to "take special temporary measures that may not be appropriate in normal times" to cope with an emergency and the resulting fallout during an "urgent and critical situation." 

Brendan Addison of M'Chigeeng First Nation runs a mobile truck repair business. He's been in Ottawa for two weeks, keeping transport trucks running and helping out the protest in any way he can.

Addison said participants have been labelled as terrorists and white supremacists.

"Frankly, it's quite offensive to be labelled as that because that is not that doesn't reflect why the majority of the people are here," he said. 

"The majority of the people that are here are peaceful protesters who just want their freedoms back and have seen in their hometowns, small communities. This is mainly a blue collar movement."

Addison said during his time in Ottawa, he's been working to help others and "help the cause."

"It gives you a feeling of you're in your heart, why you're really here," he said.

"And one thing that I think is very important to touch on that nobody touches on. People say the locals, the locals here are upset with what they call an occupation and the trucks being here."

He said he acknowledges that "a certain percentage of locals are upset."

"But also what I feel is very important is the locals that are in favour of what's happening here and are in favour of seeing change, seeing change," he said. 

"Their voices are being silenced because they're being lumped in all to that one group of the locals that are not in favour of what's happening here."

Addison said he's seen a mix of reaction from people and businesses in the area.